Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-06-18
NOT THE LAND, BUT THE CLIMATE.

DR.. Obed Harvey, writing in the Gait
Gazette, says "There is no dearth of good
land in this vicinity at reasonable rates to
the man who desires to use and develop
his muscle and the soil The facilities and
capabilities of the soil make small ownings
in this vicinity a success, as may be wit
messed any day by any one taking the
trouble" And it Is true, generally of the
State. Land is procurable here for small
farms at reasonable prices. We have room
in plenty for 5000 more families in the
county, east of the river, and when the
grants are subdivided, for 800 additional.
A chief difficulty in inducing settlement
is the erroneous idea entertained by the
Eastern visitor so often, concerning land
values. He comes here oftener than other
wise profoundly Impressed with the
idea that home land values constitute the
true standard for estimating values in Cali
| fornia. Thus, if land of given grade
sells in Iowa, Indiana or Wisconsin at $50
Or $50 an acre, he announces his expect
| alton of securing similar land here at
from S. to SIS per acre, wholly ignoring
the fact that-as we have before taken oc-
casion to say-we sell what is atop" the
soil and throw the land in.
1t is the capacity of the soil and climate
in which We deal, and this fact is the most
difficult of all others to impress upon the
Eastern home-seeker. Perhaps the homely
illustration reaches him most forcibly; as,
when we explain that in California we
transfer with the land certain benefits,
guaranteed, impossible for him to enjoy at
the East. Thus, that here he need not dig
his way through snow from house to barn;
never need bank up" the dwelling to ex-
clude the cold; is not compelled to house
up" in winter, or "blanket stock" or feed
half the produce of summer to keep the
stock in winter; that he may labor every
day upon his California land; pluck
from it some produce each day of
the round year; gather flowers from
his soil for his breakfast table
on every day of the three hundred
and sixty-6ve produce from his soil
vegetables of some order every month in
the year if he will raise upon his land
the orange, the lemon, lime, olive, fig, etc,
as easily as the peach, pear or apple; and
80 on through a long catalogue.
Deep-rooted trees are most difficult to
remove from the ground so the preju-
dices of lifetime, due to surrounding
conditions, are not to be eradicated in a
moment by the presentation of the advan-
tages of other conditions concerning which
the newcomer frequently has but vague
and often very erroneous idea.
1t is within the experience of all Cali
fornians that their simplest recitaIs of eli
matte advantages in California, of the pro-
ductiveness of our soil and the winterless
character Of our year, are received by
Eastern friends with incredulity, and very
often rejected rs untrue F'5lse ideas con-
corning this sction prevail at the East for
several reasons, and not the least is dill
gent MISREPRESENTATION These must be re-
moved by ratient presentation of the
truth, and ab,Te all the newcomer must
be made TO understand that in estimating
values here those of his Eastern home cut
but small figure, because of the wide dis
similarity of conditions.
A well-knewn immigration agent en-
ploys an amming and effective method of
removing and rectifying the erroneous
judgment of the visitor. He asks the
price of landslin the region from which
the stranger kaiis, and then reciting soil
possibilities under California climatic con-
ditions, inqrlires what would be the value
of the same and with such capacity guar
anteed it? fhe response uniformly gives
high figure itrebly in excess of the price
asked for similar lands in California, and
the result is that new light dawns upon